Social Class: How do you know what social class do you belong to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

[Anonymous]

If you care about this, why does it matter to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

I am guessing you are not from the US. Just because classes in the US are not official with land titles or identifiable by last name does not indicate the absence of social class in the US. In US social class is determined not primarily by heredity, but rather by a combination of education, career, assets, social capital, proximity to power, geography, and race. A wealthy, home-owning plumber in DC is going to be considered of a lower social status than an assistant professor at Georgetown, even though the latter may be in debt and rent a studio apartment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You most definitely belong to the "dumb class." Who the hell worries about stuff like this?

Immigrants from society based on caste.

[Anonymous]

Isn't upper class a British thing associated with the aristocracy. Upper class people can be lacking money and unable to fix the roof of a rotting mansion. Working class people can be billionaires but aren't going to be invited to posh events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Americans don't think about this.

This. People sort of just gravitate to people they get along with. Only strivers and gold diggers care about this stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's how I think of it:

If you don't have access to sufficient funds to provide for basic needs, you're poor.

If you earn money but live paycheck to paycheck, you're working class.

If you are primarily a wage earner but own a home and are able to financially prioritize things like health and your kids' education, you're middle class.

If your money makes money for you, i.e. you live off capital instead of wage earnings, you're rich.

There are a million different varieties here that Americans spend a lot of time bickering over, because we don't have the kind of social consistency of class that exists in other countries. That's mostly a good thing, but it also means that a wealthy person can put on a cowboy hat, call himself working class, and claim that a single mother working paycheck to paycheck as a nurse is not because she makes a low six figure salary.

Ok so let’s say we have couple number one: obese Walmart shoppers who never go anywhere or do anything with tens of millions in the bank
Couple number two has an elegant appearance, expensive possessions, flies first class to their home country all the time but they are actually in a huge amount of debt and have nothing in the bank
Who’s higher class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

This right here is what new money with no class has to tell themselves.

I've personally met so many rich people with little to no class and a lot of very well educated poor people with a lot of class.

And yes, people would much rather be around a poor college professor than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

I am guessing you are not from the US. Just because classes in the US are not official with land titles or identifiable by last name does not indicate the absence of social class in the US. In US social class is determined not primarily by heredity, but rather by a combination of education, career, assets, social capital, proximity to power, geography, and race. A wealthy, home-owning plumber in DC is going to be considered of a lower social status than an assistant professor at Georgetown, even though the latter may be in debt and rent a studio apartment.

I think it's you who is not from the US or you are very provincial.

[Anonymous]

Some of you have clearly not spent time around an old money country club or zip code if you think money can buy your way “in.” I say this as an outsider not an insider.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

This right here is what new money with no class has to tell themselves.

I've personally met so many rich people with little to no class and a lot of very well educated poor people with a lot of class.

And yes, people would much rather be around a poor college professor than you.

You may think Lauren Bezos has no class, but she couldn't care less what people she never interacts with thinks about her "class". She doesn't care what people who think they are classy and have high opinions have to say about her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you have clearly not spent time around an old money country club or zip code if you think money can buy your way “in.” I say this as an outsider not an insider.

Old money is gone in a few generations. This is meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

This right here is what new money with no class has to tell themselves.

I've personally met so many rich people with little to no class and a lot of very well educated poor people with a lot of class.

And yes, people would much rather be around a poor college professor than you.

You may think Lauren Bezos has no class, but she couldn't care less what people she never interacts with thinks about her "class". She doesn't care what people who think they are classy and have high opinions have to say about her.

Well let me know when she joins DCUM. I'll make sure to ask her about a wide range of things. Until then, if you think money equals class, you will never have class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

This right here is what new money with no class has to tell themselves.

I've personally met so many rich people with little to no class and a lot of very well educated poor people with a lot of class.

And yes, people would much rather be around a poor college professor than you.

You may think Lauren Bezos has no class, but she couldn't care less what people she never interacts with thinks about her "class". She doesn't care what people who think they are classy and have high opinions have to say about her.

Well let me know when she joins DCUM. I'll make sure to ask her about a wide range of things. Until then, if you think money equals class, you will never have class.

Class is not the same as manners. The most famous "class" ever would be the English upper classes, who could be both well mannered and terribly mannered. Plenty of aristocrats took pride in being badly mannered, exhibiting a vulgarity that would be at home with Lauren Boebert. Manners does not make the class. And that is where you're falling into a trap.

Lauren Boebert is far from my favorite person but she is not a lesser class than, say, Abigail Spanberger or Nancy Pelosi. They belong to different socio-economic groups. All three are politically and legally equal. If you keep thinking class is manners or how many degrees you have, you're missing it entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Using myself as an example. Immigrant that has been in the States for 25 years now. When I was a kid growing up my father was in a profession that was pretty high status. We lived in beautiful homes in posh neighborhoods around the world and attending private school with children of government officials, CEOs, and the global elite.

However my father was self made and did not have any generational wealth. His chosen profession, although prestigious and elevated our family status and lifestyle, was not something like investment banking where you can amass a lot of wealth.

So when he retired...our lifestyle shifted dramatically. So here we are my siblings and I, literally with champagne tastes and beer budget if you will.

2 of them married rich so because of our lifestyle growing up, easily and smoothly integrated into the upper class families of their spouses.

The other two of us are UMC/MC professionals. We are pretty class conscious and class confused.

Wonder if anyone has been through something similar and has any advice.

In America, you have the opportunity to decide what class you are in. If you believe it, you're in it. It's not externally imposed on you like everywhere else. It's why everyone immigrates here.

+1. There are many people in America who have lots of money but no class; while there are many who are very poor but have a lot of class. Class is decided by how you conduct yourself.

No it's not. There is no class system here. You can buy your way in wherever you want. And if you're poor, nobody cares how classy you are.

This right here is what new money with no class has to tell themselves.

I've personally met so many rich people with little to no class and a lot of very well educated poor people with a lot of class.

And yes, people would much rather be around a poor college professor than you.

You may think Lauren Bezos has no class, but she couldn't care less what people she never interacts with thinks about her "class". She doesn't care what people who think they are classy and have high opinions have to say about her.

Well let me know when she joins DCUM. I'll make sure to ask her about a wide range of things. Until then, if you think money equals class, you will never have class.

Class is not the same as manners. The most famous "class" ever would be the English upper classes, who could be both well mannered and terribly mannered. Plenty of aristocrats took pride in being badly mannered, exhibiting a vulgarity that would be at home with Lauren Boebert. Manners does not make the class. And that is where you're falling into a trap.

Lauren Boebert is far from my favorite person but she is not a lesser class than, say, Abigail Spanberger or Nancy Pelosi. They belong to different socio-economic groups. All three are politically and legally equal. If you keep thinking class is manners or how many degrees you have, you're missing it entirely.

HAHAHAHA no. Lauren Boebert and Abigail Spanberger are most certainly not of the same class. Having class absolutely has to do with how you conduct yourself and your life. Money can help, sure, but it does not guarantee that you'll have class. And we can't compare English aristocrats to the current American system any more than we can compare the cast system of India.